The Legend of Shippo: Heart Scar
by Compulsive Writer
Summary: Twenty years have passed since Shippo struck out on his own. Now a full-fledged fox demon, he hunts demons who would cause harm to those without the power to protect themselves. New friends and enemies emerge when a lost treasure of the dwindling fox demon tribe falls into the hands of an unsuspecting young woman intricately tied to Shippo's past, as well as to his destiny.
1. The Vanishing Blade

Episode 1: The Vanishing Blade

* * *

**ONE**

Slender, delicate fingers slowly wrapped around the hilt of the sword. The blade, immersed in a brilliant blue-white glow, made the faint sound of whispering winds as it was drawn. In the moment the blade was fully clear of the sheath, it vanished into thin air.

"What on earth are you doing in here?"

The swordsmith's daughter did not hear her brother's voice as she stared up at the vapors surrounding the empty space where the blade should have been. Her jaw hung open in wonder at the magical trinket she held before her. She knew her father produced the finest weapons in the land, but she thought it unfathomable to craft a sword that could turn invisible. In fact, if she hadn't known better, she would have thought there was no blade attached to the hilt, that the light she had seen when she drew the blade had never existed. Amazing!

"Kuu!" A stern, heavy hand clamped onto her shoulder, and the girl let out a gasp as the sword slipped from her fingers.

The weapon clattered hilt first to the floor, but the blade itself, if it struck the floor at all, made no sound.

"This isn't a playroom, Kuu."

Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. She hadn't heard him enter the workshop after her, which was unusual in and of itself. Her brother was a big man, and not at all light on his feet. Had she been so distracted by the weapon in the red sheath that she had all but neglected her surroundings? It was unusual for her to be caught off guard.

Even more unusual was that she had found herself attracted to a weapon in the first place. Kuu detested war and everything about it. She hated the swords her father made with a passion, and had never thought for even a moment to take one in her hand, to draw it from its sheath, to inspect its blade. And yet she had drawn one. She had even admired it!

"I… I wasn't playing."

"Then what did you intend to do? Chop some wood for tonight's fire? Or perhaps carve tonight's roast boar? We both know you wouldn't use a sword for its true intentions. Just the mere thought of blood makes you go weak in the knees."

"Stop it, big brother," Kuu muttered, turning away from him.

"This is father's storeroom. What else did you expect to find in here besides swords and metalworking tools?"

"I came in to clean," she mumbled. "I just got distracted, that's all."

"Distracted? By a sword?" He arched a brow as he studied her and then gave a shake of his head. "Come on, sis. You're not a child, and this isn't your playroom. Now out."

He gave her back a gentle shove in the direction of the door, and then he scooped up the invisible sword. Kuu paused momentarily, watching him over her shoulder. The trail of vapor remained, the only hint of the existence of the weapon's blade. The siblings could not have been more different. While Kuu's older brother was destined to be a great samurai, Kuu had no inclination of her own future. Despite that, she felt drawn to the weapon even more now than she had been a moment before. Her green eyes sparkled as she watched the blue-white glow return to the blade as he sheathed the weapon. He then returned the sword to its place on the wall.

"I'm sorry, big brother."

He smiled. "It's no big deal. Father doesn't have to know." He gave her back another gentle shove, and this time she went easily as he escorted her from the storeroom.

"Big brother?"

"What is it, Kuu?"

"Just… what kind of sword is that?"

"A sword is just a tool, Kuu."

She cast him a sidelong glance. "That doesn't really answer my question."

"It's the only answer I can give you," he replied with a smile. "I'm a soldier of war. I wield weapons. I don't forge them. I'm afraid if you want to know the answer to that question, you'll have to ask the master swordsmith himself."

Kuu cringed. "He would never tell me."

"And you would never even bother to ask."

She sighed and looked away. He was certainly right about that much of it. Long ago she had learned that her father would never take her as an apprentice swordsmith. He insisted that a swordsmith's workplace was intended for men alone. Unfortunately he had never had two sons.

"Your commander is coming to order weapons tonight?"

He nodded. "He'll be here in a few hours. Which means you should prepare yourself to receive company. He is a lord's son and the ranking officer in his father's army. I expect you to put your best foot forward."

"Yes, big brother. Of course I will."

* * *

**TWO**

Kuu was no apprentice swordsmith. Nor had she ever received any instruction on hosting a dinner for a samurai prince. Even so, she resigned herself to prepare a modest meal for the evening. She also dressed in her finest indigo kimono, the color of the banner of the noble's family. She prayed she could at least play the role of the humble hostess convincingly. After all, her father was counting on her to help him impress a wealthy young samurai.

When the time finally came, Kuu was a nervous wreck. Thankfully she hadn't been expected to meet face-to-face with the prince upon his arrival. She would first see him when she was asked to bring dinner. While he and her father and big brother talked business in the swordsmith's shop, Kuu was alone in another part of the house, tying her raven hair up in buns in order to cover her pointed ears.

As she awaited word to join the meeting, Kuu thought about the amazing sword she had discovered in the storeroom. She wondered just what manner of power it possessed, and whether or not her father would consider selling it to the prince. She knew that her father's weapons drew a considerable price. They were very difficult and time consuming to forge, but they were also the finest weapons that money could buy. Only the highest ranking officers would ever carry them into battle.

If the finest samurai sword could attract such a tremendous price, she wondered how much he could get for a sword with an invisible blade.

More than an hour after the samurai prince arrived, Kuu was called to join the small gathering, which included one other samurai besides the lord's son, her father, and her brother. She brought the meal—a fine fish stew, rice, melon, and two more full jugs of sake—into the primary chambers of her father's house. Kuu had never considered herself to be the best cook, but she was very relieved to see the young samurai and the elder officer who accompanied him eat without complaint.

She poured sake for each of the men in turn and took a seat beside her father.

It was irregular for her to dine with the men when her father had visitors, but her brother had insisted she attend. She didn't understand why, but she didn't ask questions. Her father's rules still applied: she was expected to eat her meal in silence and speak only when spoken to.

Near the end of the meal, the elder samurai spoke. "Five blades, then. One for each of Lord Hanabishi's five daughters."

Kuu looked up in surprise. "Daughters?"

She flushed with embarrassment at her own outburst when her father shot her a glare, but before he could reprimand her or she could mutter an apology, the young samurai chuckled softly. "My sisters," he explained. "They are not samurai, but each has had a champion named in her honor. The swords we have commissioned your father to forge are intended for those men."

"Each will bring this house a small fortune," her brother added. "Enough that Father will be able to bring on an apprentice or two of his own choosing."

"That's incredible!" Kuu murmured. She gazed to the samurai prince and obediently bowed her head. "Your father is quiet generous, my lord."

"Nonsense, little lady," he replied. "We came to your father not out of generosity or any sense of charity. We came because he is the greatest swordsmith in all of Japan. His weapons are without match. If they were not the finest in the land we would have gone elsewhere. So please do not thank us for our business. Your father has earned this on his own merit."

Kuu flushed and looked somberly at ground. "I see. My apologies. I spoke out of place."

"More nonsense," the samurai said gently. "Yours is a voice worthy of any nobleman's ear. Please, speak freely. I consider your brother to be one of my very dearest friends. More than a comrade. We are brothers merged in the thickest of blood on the darkest of battlefields. That makes you my sister, Kuu-chan."

She flushed a deeper shade of red. He knew her name.

"Yes, my lord," she mumbled.

"Now, about this stew."

She looked up. "Yes? Is it not to your liking?"

He showed her a dazzling smile. "Might I have some more, please?"

"A-ah… Of course!"

* * *

**THREE**

_Even the faintest sliver of power can attract a pest,_ Shippo reminded himself as he slipped silently through the forest. The thick scent of demon clung to the trees. Not a great demon by any stretch. He expected to find a rather small, weak creature, a mere pest. Enough to frighten an unsuspecting village, but nothing a fox demon of his fortitude and experience couldn't handle.

Shippo had visited this village before, but that had been more than twenty years ago, during his youth, long before he had decided to set off on his own. He doubted anyone remembered who he was. His companions at the time were far more likely to leave a lasting impression. He found it more important that he get the job done and move on. At least, that's what he had come to believe in the days following the end of his training.

"Answer a question for me, Master Shippo."

Speaking of pests… Shippo smiled to himself and continued to move forward silently. He took another quick whiff of the cool forest air. Despite the stillness of the night he knew the target was close.

"Master Shippo, are you even listening to me?"

"Hush, Tsume," Shippo whispered. "We aren't alone."

"What are you– Mmmrrmph!"

Shippo's fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger sheathed at his hip. He pulled it free without a second thought and dipped quickly and silently into the cover of a nearby bush. There he waited, silent, eyes closed and pointed ears perked up in an attempt to hone in on the target.

He counted off the seconds in his head.

_ Ten…_

_ Twenty…_

_ Thirty…_

A minute passed before he realized he was wasting time. He drew a breath and stepped back out onto the path. He scanned the area around him once more before sheathing the dagger.

"Please, Master Shippo! A little warning next time!"

"Quiet, Tsume. Let me think."

There was no question that his quarry had been here, but now Shippo began to consider another possibility: that the demon had moved on. Perhaps the demonic aura he had been tracking was stronger than he had first assumed, so much so that it lingered long after the demon moved on. He would have to check with the villagers to be certain just how long it had been since their last encounter with the troublemaker. Raking his slender, clawed fingers through his thick head of red hair, the young fox demon drew a breath.

"It seems you were mistaken, Master Shippo. The only demons for miles would be the two of us."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right."

Even so, Shippo kept his fingers close to the hilt of his dagger.

"It's late. Perhaps we should be returning to the village."

"The village. I don't know, Tsume. I can't say that I felt very welcome there."

"Well, perhaps it is just as well. We're demons, after all, Master. We weren't exactly meant to mingle with humans."

That much was indeed true. Shippo hadn't felt comfortable around humans for a very long time. Not since… "Dinner," he said after a long moment.

"A splendid idea, Master Shippo!"

* * *

**FOUR**

The smell of roasting fish wafting up from the campsite below was overpowering, almost intoxicating. It took every ounce of Maika's willpower to keep her concentration. She couldn't afford single misstep, else she would risk going hungry for yet another night. Determined, she moved another inch forward.

Dangling upside down from a tree about forty feet above the small, open fire might be risky, but Maika was not entirely out of her element. She had grown up in this forest. While the traveler below might possess the strength she lacked, this was still her home and she held the element of surprise.

Maika studied the traveler. He seemed tall and lanky, with fiery red hair and a plush, bushy tail. A fox demon. She wasn't an expert in identifying demons by any stretch, but this one was easy enough.

Even from this high up, Maika's sharp eye caught the somber look of reflection on his face as he stared into the fire. His was a handsome face, still soft with youth and innocence and good humor. Not yet hardened by experience in this unforgiving age.

She gave herself a mental shake in order to focus on the task at hand. He didn't even try to conceal himself in any way. There was a human village nearby, yet he kept an open flame, albeit a small one. Even so, Maika knew even a small fire could potentially alert the villagers of unwelcome company lurking in the forest. Either he was confident or foolish, likely both considering the nature of a fox demon.

No matter. His overconfidence would be to her benefit.

Already her scales began to glow as she ignited the power within. The heat spread violently through her body. She drew in a breath of the cool night air and let loose an inhuman shriek. With a push of her short yet powerful legs, Maika fell clear of the branches and into open air, and then, she unfurled her wings in a rush. She shrieked again as the ground rushed toward her, spinning violently in an attempt to make her appear larger than she actually was.

By the look of surprise on the fox demon's face, she knew she'd gotten the drop on him.

Dinner was served.

* * *

**FIVE**

She'd been wrong before, of course. Her father had called her his clumsy gem. The moment she'd dropped "unexpectedly" into his camp—the very moment that she _thought_ he registered a look of surprise—he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"_Woah!_" Maika cried as the ground rushed up to break her fall.

She never reached it. Rather, she felt a jolt rush up her spine from the point where something snagged her tail. She thought her eyes might burst from their sockets… if her head didn't pop right off her neck.

For a moment there was nothing but the sound of the crackling fire. She felt the heat very close to her. Given her nature she had no fear of being roasted. However, being torn apart like a chicken at the dinner table was a real possibility.

Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the ground.

"Kinda puny for a dragon, aren't you?"

The voice was gentler than Maika had anticipated. She hadn't actually anticipated a voice at all. She'd expected only the brief yet excruciating pain as he disemboweled her on the spot, either with that dagger at his hip or with his bare claws.

She saw the ground moving away from her.

And then she caught sight of his face as he calmly inspected her.

She curled her long neck up so that she looked back at him. His face seemed as gentle as his tone. Most striking were the eyes, a deep, penetrating blue that seemed to sink deep into her core, the same color, she realized, as her father's scales. He wore a small grin as he inspected her.

"I'm going to let you down now, and we're going to have a chat, you and I."

"Ch-ch-chat?"

"Yep. Just you and me. No one else."

"Well played, Master Shippo!"

"Shut up, Tsume."

The dragon's eyes widened. She glanced this way and that, snaking her long neck about in every direction, looking for signs of the fox demon's companion, but she saw nothing. There was no one else in the small clearing.

"Forgive my friend," Shippo said. "He has a fast tongue in the strictest sense. Sometimes his wit lags behind. Most times, in fact."

"Master!"

Shippo gave the dagger at his hip a whap across the hilt with his free paw.

"Hey, now! Haven't I served you well through your journeys, Master?"

"You'd be serving me well right now by keeping that yap closed."

"Y… Yes Master…"

Maika's eyes opened wide. "That knife t-t-talks!"

"The real miracle is when it doesn't," Shippo said with a roll of his eyes. He released the small dragon, and with a hand to her belly, helped her to land with some dignity, on her feet. He then studied her snakelike body. "I've never seen a dragon quite like you before."

"Uh… I'm a peh-peh-pygmy."

"You look like a dragon," the knife announced. "Or at the very least a very fat snake."

"Not a pig, Tsume," Shippo chuckled. "Pygmy. A dwarf. I'd hazard a guess that a couple millennia ago dragons like our little friend were still great beasts, but the world changed when man became the dominant species. Dragons became insignificant and nature adjusted."

"Yeh-yeh-yes," Maika said in wonder. "Exactly."

"A dragon like you would only attack a demon's campsite with one thing in mind."

Shippo turned then, his back to Maika. He was reaching for something. Some small fear in the back of her mind whispered warnings. It was time to get out. Time to flee. However, her legs refused to work. She found herself transfixed by her captor.

She felt more than a little silly. She'd thought she'd gotten the drop on him, but instead it felt as if he'd actually set some sort of a trap. When he turned back to her, his arm extended, she realized that it actually _had_ been a trap.

In his fist he held a stick. Skewered to one end was one of the fish he'd been roasting for his dinner. But it hadn't been his dinner, Maika realized, by the small, triumphant smirk he wore. Rather it had been bait.

She hung her head, dejected, her still unfurled wings limp at her sides.

"And I th-th-thought you the fool."

"I have a trick or two up my sleeve," Shippo said proudly. "But that's not why you're here. Just eat. I have some questions for you."

* * *

**SIX**

Not a single lantern, or even a candle, burned in the swordsmith's hut. Even the shop across the narrow road was black as pitch.

In the still, silent darkness, a single soul sat motionless in a tiny room, her small hands folded in her lap as she stared out her window and up into a sky filled with a thousand twinkling stars. She thought about her father's recent gain. Things were going to change very soon. The future looked bright.

Still, Kuu fretted over what the prince had come to do. He had ordered swords forged for the samurai charged with defending his five sisters. Did that mean the five were somehow in danger? That was not the worst of it, however.

After supper she had learned that her brother was about to go away yet again. He had only just returned home a few weeks ago, after being away at war for more than a year. He was set to leave at dawn the day after tomorrow.

Time was heart achingly short.

An unusual spot of light drifted slowly into view, as if wandering amidst the stars. Kuu rubbed her eyes and gawked at the light. She knew she couldn't be seeing what she was seeing. Could it be some sort of a demon or possibly even a spirit? She couldn't even decide what color it was. It hovered high in the sky, up beyond the distant treetops, so high that it was impossible to judge not only its size but also its distance.

Without warning it stopped. After a moment or two it moved off in another direction, only to stop and alter paths again. It stopped for yet a third time, and then, as Kuu watched, it began to swell in size.

No, Kuu realized. The light wasn't getting bigger. It was moving closer, and quickly.

As she watched the glowing orb at last descended into the trees, somewhere beyond the village. Kuu, staring out into the forest from her seat by the window, put a hand to the windowsill and slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Before she could think better of it, Kuu put a leg through the window and stepped out into the dark of night.

She started off toward the forest as quickly as her two skinny legs could carry her.

Before she got far, however, something inside her made her pause. She stood limply in the road for a long time, staring into the forest. It was dark there, pitch black for as far as the eye could see. Beneath the cover of the trees she wouldn't even have the light of the stars to guide her. She put her hands to her face and drew them down slowly, letting a soft moan escape through her slightly parted lips. Just what had gotten into her?

She started to turn back to the house.

[_Giving up so quickly?_]

She paused, and closed her eyes. She drew a breath and started back.

[_No guts._]

She was just about to crawl back through the window into her room when she caught sight of a flash of light from the corner of her eye. She froze. For a time she did not move, not even to turn her head in the direction of the flash of light, Kuu waited. There was a warmth in the air, like a flood of power emanating off to her right, from the direction of her father's shop.

Finally, she turned in that direction.

There was no sign of the flash of light she thought she had seen.

The warmth, however, still lingered. It felt almost as if she was standing before a raging fire, but there were no flames, only empty darkness. Kuu hooked some of her flowing hair behind a pointed ear and stared at the shop.

She drew a breath, and then started forward. It was a short walk across the road. She pushed the bar up and let the door swing open. Inside there was only more darkness. Kuu lifted a lantern from its place on a nearby shelf and exposed the wick. The tiny flame still burned, and soon bathed the workshop in a dim, golden glow. The warmth from before still lingered, though its strength had faded. She turned in the direction of the source, and paused when she saw the dim blue glow that seeped through in through the crack beneath the door to her father's storeroom. Kuu stared in disbelief.

It was the same color, the same eerie, wondrous energy she had felt when she had unsheathed her father's strange sword.

[_Go on. Can't you feel it? Calling you?_]

Kuu felt herself drawn to the door. She moved easily, sidestepping a workbench in the center of the workshop. She placed the lantern there and reached for the door. She slid it open. The blue glow seemed to vanish even as she stepped inside.

The weapon still hung in its place on the wall.

[_Take it, Kuu. Take it!_]

She reached for it, eyes wide.

There was a flash of pain as something slammed violently into the back of her head. Kuu felt herself lurch forward.

Her eyes grew wide with shock even as her control over her body began to fade.

[_Gotcha._]

She was dimly aware of her own fingers as they wrapped around the hilt of the mysterious sword. The blade glowed brilliantly as it was drawn from its sheath.

Her sight left her in that moment, just as the blade began to fade from sight. She couldn't help the one last thought lingering in some distant corner of her mind.

It was the realization that she was not in control of her own body.

There was something else.

Something dangerous.

Something undeniably evil.

It had her.

And the worst of it: she had given it her father's magic sword.

* * *

**SEVEN**

"At last! Yosue is mine!"

Osuhi raised the sword and then brought it down slowly. The blade itself was invisible, but the vapors surrounding the blade gave off a distinctive blue glow similar, though not nearly so vivid, as the light that shone when it was drawn. The power of the sword, which had crackled intensely as the blade cleared the sheath, now emanated slowly, somehow diminished.

Osuhi scowled at the poor results. The connection was weak. With a flick of the vessel's wrist, he slashed at the air again. The vapors surrounding the blade glowed a bit brighter than before, but it was no indication of the power he knew the sword possessed.

Of course he had only just acquired the blade. He would have to be patient and adjust to its powers. The vessel too was alien to him. He'd never possessed a half demon before. It was something of a surprise that the body moved at all upon his command. Even so, he expected more from his new quarry. He'd spent a lot of time searching for the daughter of Saya, and the sword of power bequeathed her.

Saya's decision to leave the sword in the hands of humans humored Osuhi. Even better: she had left her own daughter in the very same village. Abandoned, this half demon wretch faced, at the very best, a dark future amidst the prejudices of mankind.

He had little doubt that Saya would never seek her daughter again. After all, the dead seldom bothered with the past.

Osuhi, in the body of the half demon Kuu, stepped out of the swordsmith's shop and into the road. He peered through her eyes to the dark house. He lifted the sword again, placing the blade—if there was a blade—between his eyes and the house. The vapors shimmered faintly.

That's when the thought occurred to him. He brought his free hand up and took the hilt of the sword in both hands.

"Fox fire!"

The girl's voice rang clear and true over the silent night. Osuhi could feel the power rush through him.

And in that moment, as blue power erupted ferociously precisely where the blade of Yosue should be, he brought the sword back and gave it a mighty swing, slashing the air.

"_FOX FIRE!_" Osuhi bellowed. Again Kuu's voice shattered all that remained of the night's peace. He could feel the power raging through her as terrible blue flames scorched the midnight air.

He saw all with Kuu's eyes. The intense blast that struck the house, incinerating much at the point of impact. The debris that still burned, falling from the sky like a rain of fire. The raging blue flames that mercilessly devoured all that remained.

Osuhi gave a nod of satisfaction. He sheathed Yosue, and turned. "This will do."

As he started for the forest he turned again. The blade slashed the night air.

"_Fox fire!_"

The shop, just like the swordsmith's hut, exploded as the sword's magic slammed into it. Osuhi watched for only a moment. Then, as he sheathed the sword, he smiled and he turned the vessel toward the forest.

"Yes. This will do quite nicely," he said.

And then his latest prizes, the sword and the half demon Kuu, vanished into the night.

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE: Maika's Somber Pledge**


	2. Maika's Somber Pledge

Episode 2: Maika's Somber Pledge

* * *

** ONE**

She had to admit it: Shippo fascinated her. Maybe that's why she decided to stick around.

He was tall and lean and handsome, with fair skin and intense eyes as bright as a clear blue sky. He wore a deep blue kimono with a dark brown hakama. He draped his long, tawny fox's tail over his right shoulder, and possessed a regal air despite his vagabond nature. Most striking, however, was his long, flowing mane, a brilliant burning red. The color of fire, of life.

There was also his easy-going, gentle nature. It was unexpected but pleasant nonetheless. He spoke to her as if she mattered to him, as if he truly cared. She didn't know if he could be trusted, but in her heart of hearts she longed to believe it was so.

She also believed he could protect her, given the growing danger. This was home, the forest that had been a safe haven when her kin had been forced from the mountains generations ago by the powerful Ryukotsusei. She alone knew what had befallen the lonely forest. Though she did not have the strength to put things right, perhaps Shippo could. Maybe that was why she remained. Or maybe, it was just the prospect of a hot, fresh meal.

Perhaps it was for all of these reasons that Maika reached her decision, after contemplating for several long hours, deep into the night. In the end she realized there really was no choice in the matter. She saw promise, true hope for the first time since she had been abandoned. Deep inside she felt Shippo was someone who gave her hope.

Even so, she was unable to answer the questions he asked her, though not because she didn't know the answers. The simple truth was that deep down in her heart of hearts she knew there could be no trusting anyone who entered the forest, for that is what she had always been taught. She remained tightlipped throughout the brief interrogation, refusing to answer anything about her departed clan. She would only admit she was alone, and frightened beyond compare.

As the hour drew late, she was the last to fall asleep that night.

* * *

**TWO**

She was also the first to stir. Only a few hours had passed; the sun had not yet risen.

Slowly she pried her eyes open and let the haze of the dreamworld fade away until the night was clear once again. Swiveling both large, golden orbs about in their sockets, she could very nearly see the entire campsite without moving her head. Her eyesight was near perfect even in the black of night.

Soon she confirmed what she had expected. Shippo still leaned against the tree where he had settled down for the night. He seemed comfortable, peaceful. His large, bushy tail shrouded him like a blanket.

With a big yawn, Maika stretched her long neck and tail. Every muscle ached with weariness. Her joints creaked noisily from a lack of use through the night.

It was a rather pleasant experience, a sense of normalcy.

"Morning, Maika. I must admit, I half expected you to flee before Master Shippo woke."

She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.

"You've been wah-wah-watching me all night?"

Tsume grunted softly. "Well, as it is I don't sleep."

Maika sighed. "Nothing b-b-better to do?"

"Precisely."

"He's still asleep. I c-c-could still run."

Tsume chuckled softly.

It was strange talking to a disembodied voice. She couldn't even see the dagger to which it belonged. She suspected it was still strapped to Shippo's hip as he slept, ever at the ready. He could draw it in a heartbeat if danger closed in.

Maika lowered herself to the ground and snaked her long neck around, nestling her snout beneath an arm and shielding her eyes. Then she folded her wings in close. Though still in plain sight, somehow not being able to see helped calm her nerves.

"Can I ask you a question?"

She sighed. "If you w-w-wish. I c-c-can't promise you I'll answer it."

"You spoke of a power that chased the dragons from this place."

"I did. Though you and Shippo d-d-didn't seem too surprised about th-th-that."

"Powerful demons still exist in the world. Though their numbers are significantly less than before Naraku's death."

"You knew nuh-nuh-Naraku? Did you fight him?"

"No. Not I. He was long gone before I came to this land. The Master, however… oh yes, he knew who Naraku was. He was one who helped to defeat him."

Maika lifted her wing slowly as she drew her head back out into the night air. The questions Shippo had asked her earlier returned to the forefront of her thoughts. "He d-d-defeated Naraku?" she mumbled.

"Well, I don't know all the gory details. He didn't exactly strike the deathblow, if that's what you're asking. He was still very young at the time. Just a kid really."

"The other power," Maika breathed softly. "Shippo isn't hunting dragons…" Maika lowered her head slowly. She stared off into the darkness.

"No. He isn't," Tsume replied. "Someone else is."

"Not human."

"No. Humans do not concern Master Shippo. We're hunting a demon of some fashion. To be honest, we've been on his tail for days now, but we never seem to gain any ground."

"Dragonstone," Maika said slowly.

"Dragonstone?"

"Yes. He st-st-stole it from us. It is a p-p-powerful jewel that m-m-masks our presence in th-th-the forest." The young dragoness lowered her head once again and stared off into the trees, a look of dejection in her golden eyes. "It is the only w-w-way we've b-b-been able to survive for so long in the b-b-backdrop of a human kingdom."

"This is all starting to make sense. This other power that Master Shippo sensed. He was here after all."

Maika closed her eyes and grumbled to herself.

"This demon who stole your dragonstone. Did he have a name?"

Maika gasped and slunk as close to the ground as physically possible. She had not heard Shippo stir. There was no telling just how long he had been listening to her conversation with Tsume. For one who prided herself on her keen senses, Shippo had certainly gotten the best of her more than once since she'd first laid eyes on him.

"Please, Maika," the fox demon said gently. He had approached, and had lowered to a knee before her. "I believe this demon I pursue and the fiend who took your dragonstone are one and the same. I can help you, if you'd only let me."

"Well…" She swallowed the lump in he throat. "He c-c-called himself the c-c-Collector."

"The Collector, eh?" Tsume replied quickly. "What do you think, Master Shippo?"

Shippo didn't reply, but if the small smile on his lips was any indication, Maika suspected he was pleased to have finally made some semblance of progress with her. Their "talk" the previous night had been a bit one-sided. Now she didn't know why she had held back. When she gazed at him she didn't see another demon seeking to harm her or her forest home. She saw only a gentle soul with a desire to do good. That hadn't changed since last night.

"I w-w-wish to help," she said softly. "If I c-c-can."

Shippo nodded. His smile was warm. "I'd like that."

"Welcome to our small company, little lady," Tsume said.

Maika smiled shyly. "Uh, s-s-sure. Thanks."

* * *

**THREE**

Yosue lay unsheathed on the forest floor. A scowling Osuhi stood over the mysterious weapon, glaring. Fury danced in his dark eyes. The girl struggled in his grip, her feet dangling a foot above the ground. He held her at arm's length, uninterested in her for the time being.

"Wasted effort," he grumbled to himself. "What good is a useless sword?"

His hand still ached fiercely. He wasn't as fast healing as most demons. It was possible that the scar of the burn would remain forever. The smell of burnt flesh was nauseating, more so knowing it was his own flesh that had touched the fire.

The sword held no value for him. However, the prize, he realized, was not in the sword, as he had expected. It was in the half demon that had retrieved it for him. Slowly he narrowed his eyes as a thought occurred to him. He dumped the girl to the ground.

Turning with a gleam in his eyes, he glowered down at the huddled mass on the forest floor. He revealed to her a twisted grin.

The sword was useless, but at least he could still have some fun. He reached down, but she cowered away from him. He took a step closer, scowling, and reached again. This time when she tried to move away he stretched out beyond his physical being and seized her chi.

"Enough!" Osuhi growled, and flattened her to the ground without even touching her.

He waited a long moment before crouching over her and, with slender, clawed fingers, he slowly began to peel away her kimono. Tears swam in the girl's eyes, but he did not watch her face. He watched her chest shaking as she sobbed helplessly against his inner power. He worked methodically, shifting the fabric here and there as need be, until he at last peeled away the final layer and exposed her soft, pale flesh.

"Be it everlasting or temporal, such beauty touches only the surface. This beauty is but skin deep."

"No…" the half demon murmured, but he ignored her.

She twitched when he placed a hand to her soft flesh. Then he lowered his face close and trailed a layer of moisture from belly to chin with the tip of his tongue as she squirmed beneath him. From here he crushed a hand over one of her soft but firm breasts and covered her mouth with his own. She tried to scream but her voice was severely muffled. Even if someone could hear her, he doubted anyone would risk his life for her.

If they did, Osuhi would cut them down as effectively as a fire scorches dry grass.

He forced his tongue through her soft lips, tasting the inside of her mouth, wrapping it around her own. With one hand busy fondling her breast he let the other travel further south, seeking her deeper mysteries. Though mentally she battled him every step of the way, she had no true strength to fight him off. This was his greatest power, to bend his subjects to his will. She could fight for an eternity and never lift so much as a finger in defiance against him.

Soon he found her most secret place.

He released her mouth after a time. A moan of sorrow and shame fled her in that moment. He offered her a smile, thinking that perhaps somewhere deep down she may find consolation in such an action.

"You may as well surrender, girl," he said in a tone that was almost gentle. "I am all that you have left." His fingers continued their delicate work between her legs. Tears streamed from her cheeks. He made a show of deliberately lapping them up. By the way her entire body tensed beneath him, he knew she had chosen to fight.

A sinister smirk spread over his thin lips. "Of course, your cooperation isn't mandatory."

With that, he plunged his tongue into her mouth once more.

* * *

**FOUR**

Hana's arrow sliced effortlessly into her target.

An instant later, Shou loosed his kusarigama with deadly accuracy.

Two halves of a melon dropped from the post upon which it sat. A long slender arm reached out and snagged shaft of the arrow jutting from Hana's chosen piece of fruit. The owner of the arm was bent at a rather awkward angle, but he had managed to get his hand beneath Shou's half as well, just before it hit the ground.

"Very nice work, both of you," Yataro-sensei said with a nod as passed each sibling their prize. "Your accuracy is much improved, Hana, as is your timing, Shou."

"Thank you, Yataro-sensei!" Shou said, bowing low. His younger sister echoed her gratitude as she mimicked his bow.

The aging teacher smiled thoughtfully as he shifted his gaze between the pair. "Very well done indeed."

Neither of the young warriors saw the man in the shadows behind Yataro-sensei, watching them quietly. That was the point, of course.

"Now go on and eat your melon," the old man said, waving them away.

They bowed again, calling out "Thank you!" in unison before darting off.

"They are the last of their people?"

"Not the last, my lord. The first," Yataro replied whimsically.

As the son of Lord Hanabishi stepped out from Yataro's hut and into the sun, he appraised the siblings as they raced away side by side. "They look young for demon slayers."

"That they are, but Shou is no younger than I when I slew my first demon."

"A boy that young, slaying demons." The samurai shook his head, still watching the children. "I still find it difficult to slay my enemy on a battlefield, and my enemies are human."

"Make no mistake… to slay a demon is no easy chore. But to a demon slayer, one who understands just how precious life is, to slay a man is harder."

"I'm not sure I could agree with you on that."

"All life is precious," Yataro said with a twinkle in his eye. The young samurai watched him with a frown. "That is the first lesson a demon slayer must learn. It is so simple, yet it is profoundly important. Until they can grasp that fact, the weapons they carry are meaningless."

The samurai drew a slow breath and glanced to Yataro. "They must have learned that lesson well, then. From what I saw, they are masters of their craft."

Yataro laughed. "A melon is but a melon. Not a demon. But you speak true. I haven't seen the like of Shou's kusarigama in a long while, and Hana is destined to be the finest archer I have ever trained."

"But she is not ready."

"Not yet, but soon."

"What of the boy?"

"If what you say is true, you must take him with you," Yataro replied.

The samurai considered the old man's words. "He has not yet slayed a demon."

"He has not. At least, not in the physical world."

"What do you mean by that?"

Yataro smiled. "You must take him," he repeated.

"I cannot guarantee his safety, old man."

"I would not expect you to, my lord. He goes with you to slay a demon. Safety is not a prerequisite for the post."

"I would feel better if you were the one."

"I am an old man, my lord," he said with certainty. "It has been a very long time since I've slain a demon. The boy however… His training is at an end, His technique sound. However, for one to be a true demon slayer… he must first slay a demon. To this end, he must join you on your quest."

The samurai narrowed his eyes. "You're sending him on this mission as a test," he said accusingly. "Yataro-sama, this is a mission of the utmost importance. My father will not stand for this to be taken lightly."

"And it will not be. You must trust me on that."

The samurai clenched his teeth, fighting back an argument.

"I'm afraid I cannot give him to you, my lord," Yataro said. He gestured on down the path. A smile split his grim features. "If you wish him to join your company, you must ask him for yourself."

The samurai drew a breath. "This is a mistake," he grumbled, but started off on the path toward the children anyway.

* * *

**FIVE**

His world had crumbled to dust as he slept. Heartsick, he could only sit on his knees at the threshold and watch as men from the village sifted through the ashes, searching for something, anything that might tell the tale of the destructive force that had sent his family to hell.

But the fire had been so hot. Even without searching the rubble for himself, he knew nothing could have survived the inferno. The men would not approach him. They afforded him the space he would need to grieve on his own as they continued to work.

He did not need to be told that the blaze had been… unnatural. This was not the work of a candle being knocked over, or some stray ember from the stove. Something dangerous, something wicked, had set this fire, and extinguished the lives of all those trapped inside. He could see the truth by simply observing the rubble.

As he sat with his katana set before him, just within reach, he closed his eyes allowed himself to reflect on the darkness within.

The soldiers worked tirelessly while the prince was away.

The son of the swordsmith breathed in deeply. Each breath ached fiercely. His family was gone. Everything that had once been in his life had been taken from him.

He knew without having to see the evidence that a demon had been responsible.

But why? What interest would a demon have in a maker of human weapons and his daughter? Why destroy only the hut as well as the swordsmith's shop, and leave the rest of the village intact? It made no sense at all.

"You're sure the stone was here?" a voice said from a short distance away. It was not a voice belonging to one of his men. The young samurai opened his eyes and peered off to the left, toward the forest.

He saw two figures standing there, just outside the treeline, facing the village.

"Yes, Shippo-san. I c-c-can feel its eh-eh-energy. It's g-g-gone now… but it wuh-was here."

In a rush the samurai went to his feet. His sword's blade cleared its sheath in a heartbeat. He turned to the newcomers with eyes narrowed.

"You there! State your business!"

He first thought that he was being ignored. The taller figure said something to the one next to him, and then started toward the rubble of his father's hut. He walked with confidence, his head held high. He wore a heavy fur draped over his shoulders, regal and haughty attire, in the samurai's eye.

The self-important traveler walked straight up to the rubble, swept his eyes over the remains, and then, just when the samurai was about to demand an answer, he turned and set his deep blue eyes upon him.

"What happened here?"

The samurai blinked, taken aback.

"Demons," he said in a rough voice.

The stranger lifted a clawed hand and hooked some of his fiery red hair over an ear. The samurai's eyes widened slightly when he saw the pointed ear.

"It was you?!" he scowled, raising his sword.

"You think to take your vengeance on me? As you wish, but be warned… I will not go easy on you." The demon looked back to the rubble. "But I would hope to avoid such conflict. I am not responsible for this. Nor is my companion."

"Then why come here, demon?" The samurai did not drop his guard. Nor did he attack. "This is a human village and no concern of yours!"

"I am after the demon who did this." He turned from the samurai and crossed the threshold. And, in the moment his foot landed on the carpet of ash, he froze.

The samurai could see the demon's eyes go wide.

The demon had discovered something he did not expect.

With a grunt the samurai turned and looked to his men. Some had paused in their work and were watching the demon with wide eyes. Others seemed not to notice that something out of the ordinary was happening. It was not every day one of their own conversed with a demon.

"You seek the demon that did this?" the samurai said softly.

He drew a slow breath and let his foot set firmly upon the ground. The moment of shock had passed. He turned and gave a curt nod. "I will find him."

"I am not exactly skilled in the art of demon tracking."

The other smiled. "I've got a little experience." There was a touch of bravado in his seemingly humble statement.

"You seem familiar," the samurai said then.

It was in the eyes and the easy smile.

"I will find the demon who did this," the other said softly, ignoring his comment.

The samurai nodded. He turned to his men. "You, men! Come here out of the rubble. Give him space!"

They complied without protest. The demon was allowed a while to search the rubble in silence. No one spoke to him. Nor did anyone take their eyes from him.

The samurai felt an odd sensation in simply observing the stranger. Somewhere deep down he heard a voice in his heart, a murmur asking only that he trust the demon with the long red hair and the great bushy tail draped over his shoulders.

It was as if he had known the stranger for years, but he knew that he had not.

Even so…

* * *

**SIX**

"What did you find, Master Shippo?"

"Hush, Tsume."

He swept away the layer of ash and scooped up the small object that had caught his eye. He stared at it for the longest time before he slipped it into the pouch at his waist. Then he rose to his full height and stared somberly about for one last time before turning to the forest.

His path took him close to the small company of soldiers, who stood in the small road between the two scorched buildings. The samurai he had spoken to initially rushed up to him. Shippo shot him a glare of warning, but the samurai ignored it. It had been a very long time since he had been approached by a human. He checked the warrior's sword, but it was sheathed at his hip. With a sigh, the demon turned to face the samurai before departing.

"What is it you've found? Do you know where the other has gone?"

"No. I'm afraid I can't help you."

"You took something from the rubble."

Shippo considered. "It belongs to a demon. It wasn't meant for human hands."

The samurai blinked. "The killer?"

"Perhaps."

He took it from his pocket and revealed it to the samurai.

"But that belongs to Kuu…"

"Someone you know?"

He swallowed. "My sister. She was here last night… caught in the blaze. Along with my father."

Shippo cringed sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"That trinket. Return it to me. It belonged to my sister."

"I don't know how she got it," Shippo said calmly. "But it most certainly did not belong to her. This is a relic of my people."

"It is a child's toy!"

Shippo shrugged. "There may be some truth to that. We fox demons are a mischievous rabble." He slipped his hand back into the pouch and produced a second tiny wooden top. "This one is mine. As you can see the designs are identical, save for the markings. I'm not sure how your sister happened upon it, but it belongs to my people."

Shippo turned then. "My condolences for your loss." He slipped both tops into his pouch and started calmly for the forest.

The samurai glared after him.

"Demon!"

Shippo paused and turned so that he could peer back with one crystalline blue eye.

"I entrust this business to you. Find the bastard who killed my family."

"I will find him," Shippo said. "And I will kill him."

The promise need not be made. Shippo didn't intend vengeance for what the fiend had done to a human family. He had other reasons to track the Collector.

He returned to the young girl standing at the brink of the forest.

Maika's transformation had been startling. She now had a very human figure. Slender and willowy with pale green skin, a color nearly unnoticeable unless you observed her up close. Her scales had faded into a smooth, unblemished flesh. She was also very short, barely half his own height. Her tail was gone. She wore a tattered grey cloak she had stashed in the forest long ago, in the event that she had to do exactly as she was doing now: approach a human village where there was a considerable risk of being exposed.

She gazed up at him as he approached. Her golden eyes were unchanged by the transformation. Her pupils were narrowed into black slivers in the bright sunlight. "Shippo?"

"Fox fire. And this." He produced the top he had discovered in the ashes.

"What?" Maika asked suddenly. "But…"

"No fox demon would do this, Shippo," Tsume announced. "You should know that better than anyone."

"One did," he replied simply.

He stormed off into the forest.

"I don't understand," Maika said, her short legs churning with effort just to keep up with him. "Fox demons d-d-don't have any interest in human v-v-villages. They are m-m-mischief makers, not murderers. They d-d-don't kill people without s-s-strong cause."

"This was done by a fox demon," Shippo replied.

"How can that be?" Tsume asked.

"I don't know. The wreckage was caused by fox magic. I promise you that. The essence of it cuts deep. There's no doubt about it."

All was silent for a long while as his companions considered his discovery. "Well, if anyone would know, it would be you, Master."

Shippo nodded. "Yeah. I'm afraid so."

He paused then, his eyes flicking off to the darkness to his left.

He planted a foot squarely on Maika's back and gave her a shove, just a moment before the blade would have cut her to ribbons. She let out a yelp as she tumbled off of the path into the brush. Shippo watched the sickle pass through empty space, saw the length of black chain attached to it grew taut before the sickle passed again, returning to the shadows from whence it had come.

"Kusarigama," Shippo mused. "They hired a demon slayer."

"What will you do, Master Shippo?"

Shippo flexed his claws. "It's been awhile since I've been tested. Let's see what our friend can do."

The sickle rushed at him again, this time from another angle. Shippo was perfectly ready. He swiped out with clawed hand as he dodged to the left, knocking the weapon off to the right as it passed by. "Impressive. Apparently the little guy is quick on his feet."

"Little guy?" Tsume questioned.

"Just a kid," Shippo replied. His voice showed no real change from his normal, pleasant drawl. It spoke volumes of his confidence. This was no challenge. Tsume doubted the demon slayer posed much of a threat at all. Still, there seemed to be a hint of excitement in his master's tone. "Or perhaps a pixy."

"Joking are we, Master Shippo?"

The fox demon smirked. He watched the sickle of the kusarigama vanish once again into the shadows. With his perfect vision Shippo could see the silhouette of the boy as he snared the weapon's hilt. The moment the weapon was secure he moved yet again. This time Shippo kept his eyes on his attacker. The boy seemed to know he had lost the element of surprise, and this time, instead of trying to vanish, he simply stepped out of the shadows.

Shippo had been right. He was just a child, ten at most. He had long, straight brown hair that fell to his jawline, kept from his face by a bandanna. He was slender and tall for his age with skin bronzed by the sun. Unlike the familiar armor worn by a dear friend and her younger brother, this demon slayer was dressed more like a vagabond than a warrior. However, he seemed every bit as confident in his abilities.

He swung the chain of his kusarigama in a tight circle over his head, stepping carefully to his strong side. No, that wasn't right. He wanted Shippo to think it was his strong side. The fox demon smirked to himself. Smart kid, he thought. He had a good teacher. Either way, weak side or strong, he wouldn't be near quick enough. Shippo was nearly as fast as a certain wolf demon had been in his prime.

"Prepare yourself, demon!" the boy growled.

Shippo offered a half smile and bowed his head in response. "As you wish."

The boy struck, and the demon responded in kind.

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE: The Unrelenting Demon Slayer**


	3. The Unrelenting Demon Slayer

Episode 3: The Unrelenting Demon Slayer

* * *

**ONE**

The old man stuck a slender, clawed pinky into his ear and picked at an itch deep in the canal. He grumbled to himself. Something about the insufferable heat of the new day, even though every day on the fringe of a live volcano was equally as hot as the day before. With a grunt he plucked his finger out of his ear, inspected the white residue on the tip of his claw, and flicked it away.

"Master Totosai, please! Are you even listening?!"

He blinked as if he had forgotten she was even there, though they had been talking only a minute before. And then recognition faded back into his features and he grunted. "Eh? Are you still here?"

"Of course I'm still here! I've come on behalf of my Lord Ando to seek your assistance!"

"Bah. It's a damned inconvenience," he grouched.

"So you'll come with me?" the girl asked. She fidgeted behind him, still kneeling in the volcanic the earth. Her head nearly touched the rock floor at his feet as she bowed, pleading. "I must have your answer, Master Totosai! Time is of the essence!"

"Isn't it always?" he muttered, and with his both fists firmly planted to his hips he stepped out into the dawn. The heavy air cast by the rising volcanic gasses greeted him. "And what is it Lord Ando needed from me?"

"The legendary sword has resurfaced! Only you can track it!"

"Legendary sword, you say? You mean Yosue, the Vanishing Blade of the Vixen Queen." Totosai arched a brow as he studied the soot-covered ceiling. "That legendary sword?"

The girl let out an exasperated scream. "_Yes!_ That sword! I've explained this to you!"

Totosai sighed, glancing back over his shoulder. "Look… Nanako is it?" She nodded frantically. He turned back to her, folding his slender arms over his chest as he gazed down at her. "I really don't know what you expect me to do. Goro of the fox demon clan forged Yosue, not I."

"Goro-sama is dead! But you are here! You still draw breath! Don't you see? You are the only one who can help us locate–"

"Wait… I think maybe you are misunderstanding something." He shifted about in his loose-fitting grey hakama before sinking into a cross-legged position before her. "It is true that swordsmiths of a demonic nature are intricately tied in ways you could not begin to fathom to his _own_ work. But therein lies the key. You see, I am not Goro-sama. We may have shared similar interests and walked similar paths because of it, but our demonic signatures are quite different. His swords… they are not mine. I would offer any help I could, but I cannot help you in the way you expect. I'm sorry, but it's simply not possible."

"Lord Ando said…"

"That I would be able to track Yosue? I'm sorry, Nanako, but Lord Ando is mistaken."

She lowered her head with a sigh. "So… you won't come with me."

"I did not say that."

Nanako blinked, surprised by this response. She leaned forward. "You will help us?"

"Goro-sama was a friend and ally for many years," Totosai explained thoughtfully. "We studied the art of sword making for more than two centuries under the same master swordsmith. We were united as brothers, once upon a time."

Totosai rose from the floor and moved closer to the hearth, where he could cast flames to such a ferocious degree that it could melt the strongest of Earth's metals. He reached out and took in his hands the hilt of a sword. It was a familiar sword to him, the very first that he had ever forged. Under his Master Gogenki's watchful eyes, Totosai had forged this blade from his very own fang. It was nothing like Tetsusaiga, Tensaiga, or Sounga. This was a sword forged with no such purpose in mind.

It was merely a final test before being accepted into the swordsmith brotherhood. He thought about the friendly competition between himself and Goro, the race to see who could complete their initial sword first.

Things had not always been so friendly between them. At least in the beginning. During his younger years, Totosai had been arrogant and rash. Goro had been his complete opposite, hard and impassive. Neither was interested in forming a bond with the other. Totosai sought the fame and wealth of being the most sought-after swordsmith by the world's most powerful demons, and he was not shy about his intentions of being the best in the land. Goro, of course, was not interested in Totosai's plans, nor did he seem to have any true intentions of his own. He was only interested in his work, and continued to push forward in pursuit of the craft.

Totosai stared into the gleaming blue blade to the reflection of the old man staring back at him. He so longed to return to those days, when he was a strapping young man with all the world before him. He thought perhaps, knowing what he knew now, he would have approached the world differently. Even so, things had worked out okay. He had done all that he had intended to do, though it had not exactly occurred in the way he had anticipated.

He didn't remember pulling the sword partway clear of its sheath. He didn't remember his intent to simply gaze upon the shiny blue steel.

"Master Totosai!"

He didn't even remember that he had company standing right behind him.

He blinked in surprise when she called his name.

"Hmmm? Who are you? What do you want?" He looked around with a confused expression on his face. "Is this my house?"

* * *

**TWO**

The boy was a lot faster than Shippo had initially given him credit for. His blade was probably more accurate than any blade wielded by a mere human had a right to be. Then again, there was a reason for this: the boy was a trained demon slayer. Shippo had seen demon slayers in action before, and when comparing this kid to the likes of one of the very best, his skillset was significantly diminished… He was no Sango. Even so, he was impressive in his own right.

Of course, Shippo had no intention of hurting the boy. He was young, younger than Kohaku had been when they met years ago. He probably thought Shippo had brought harm to the people of the village. Shippo could respect his desire to defeat the demon responsible for so much grief, though he didn't exactly appreciate the idea of being tried, convicted, and sentenced to death without a chance to prove his innocence.

He could hear… even _feel_… the blast of wind against his pointed left ear as the demon slayer's kusarigama whizzed just past his head. Had he not sidestepped the weapon, it could have done him considerable damage. As it were, he was able to avoid the blade and snare the chain in his fist, just as it went taut. Before his opponent realized what was going on, Shippo gave the chain a tug.

It didn't require much effort. The boy gasped in surprise as he was yanked from his feet. He landed face first in dirt at Shippo's feet. The fox demon gazed down for a moment as the kid quickly tried to gather himself.

"Not done, eh?" Shippo asked patiently as the kid gathered up his chain and started reeling in his weapon. "Come on kid, I'm not just your average run-of-the-mill demon. You can't beat me."

Plus, he really didn't feel like pounding the kid into submission. He had a friend who would never have hesitated, of course, but it wasn't Shippo's way.

Already he was set to hurl the kusarigama again.

"Persistent," Tsume mused calmly.

"And predictable," Shippo added. "A little too reliant on that blade of his."

"Do you wish to continue analyzing or are you going to fight me, demon?!"

Shippo raised a brow. "I'm not exactly looking for a fight here, if that's what you're asking. This is your war, not mine. I mean only to survive."

"Bloodthirsty demon! Time to face judgment!"

"Bloodthirsty?" That accusation actually stung his heart.

The boy dashed forward, his blade twirling at his side. Shippo dropped into a warrior's stance, eyes flashing dangerously as he watched the weapon's arc. Again the demon slayer let it fly, only this time to the right as he himself dashed left and forward. Shippo knew the intent of the maneuver. As the chain rushed for his midsection he calmly leapt up and out of the line of fire. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of the demon slayer as he gave a tug on his chain, calling the blade of the weapon back to him.

_He's no novice, but that doesn't make him a threat. At least not to me._

"He's really quite good," Tsume noted, echoing his thoughts. "For a child."

"He's no Sango. He's no Kohaku, either."

"He's still young. Younger than either of the siblings when you met them."

Though Shippo didn't reply, he knew his companion was right. He caught the trunk of a rather tall tree and spun about within the branches, coming to rest upon a branch just strong enough to support his weight. He set his eyes on the ground, where the boy should have been. A small smile took shape as he looked back where he had been.

"What's this?"

The demon slayer was gone.

"Quick on his feet indeed," Tsume mused. "What will you do next, Master Shippo?"

The smile fell from his face as at the sound of a sudden and shrill scream. "Maika…"

He leapt from the tree with his hands balled into tight fists.

"_Maika!_"

* * *

**THREE**

Maika's heart thundered in her chest as she backed away from the blade spinning mere feet from her face. The demon slayer stood before her, glaring. He took a step forward, kusarigama twirling diligently. The blade hummed like a swarm of wasps as it sliced the air around it. The young dragon's eyes darted this way and that, searching for a path to escape, but she saw nowhere to run.

She had taken refuge within the hollowed out log of a fallen tree, only to learn that she wasn't at all hidden from her pursuer. Rather she had made herself a bird in a cage, the perfect target for an angry demon slayer.

She inched back as far as she could until her shoulders were pinned squarely to the back of the hollow, and then, tears streaming down her cheeks both out of fear and frustration, the young dragoness squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.

The boy in turn lifted his kusarigama high over his head.

He did not strike.

"Just a kid…" he mumbled. "A kid."

Maika let out a sob. She squeezed her balled fists so tight that her own claws dug into the flesh of her palm. Hot liquid dribbled through her fingers and splashed softly on the ground at her feet. She dared not hope, and his next words confirmed her fear.

"But still a demon. I must do this!"

She flinched waiting for the endlessness of death.

Cold steel pressed against her throat. "Forgive me…"

One heartbeat, and then a second.

"Die demon!" he bellowed.

Presumably a battle cry of desperation, to give him strength. Maika realized that this wasn't his intent. He was not here to kill children. She was adolescent, not really a child but not yet an adult, and she was short in comparison to the demon slayer. She wondered if his blade had ever tasted the blood of a demon before. Not that it truly mattered, as it was about to taste hers. She was lost. She wondered what it would be like to die.

"_No!_" a voice bellowed.

The earth seemed to shake with the weight of another landing on the forest floor beside her. Cold steel sliced her throat and her eyes bulged in fear and surprise and she opened her mouth to scream. Her sweet terrified voice filled her ears, and she knew the cut was shallow. He had not cut her windpipe. She had been spared an early death… at least for the time being.

The blade of the kusarigama, having tasted dragon's blood, was flung effortlessly through empty air. The hand on the other end released the chain, not of free will but out of terrified surprise. The weapon sliced deep into the bark of a nearby tree where its journey ended with a soft thwack.

Maika opened up a single eye and saw a pair of feet dangling in empty space, just above her head, kicking at the ground.

Her eyes traveled up until she saw a powerful hand clamped around the boy's throat.

"Enough!" Shippo growled. He had pinned the slayer's back to the hollow of the fallen tree, their noses inches apart. "I was willing give you an opportunity. I was prepared to let it go. But you just had to be stubborn. Damn it, kid. Are you that ready to die?"

"I'll have your head, fiend!" The slayer continued to struggle. There was a fierce determination in his eyes. Shippo might have admired his will if not for the seething anger burning within him. "You are the one who insists on spilling blood! Right is on my side!"

"You think so? And what blood do you think I've spilt this day? Or are you referring to the blood spilt last night at the village? If that's what you mean, I can assure you that had nothing to do with me."

"Liar!"

"It's true. I seek the one responsible." Shippo cocked his head and leaned in with a snarl. "You, on the other hand, have made a deadly mistake. You've spilt blood today. Innocent blood."

"Demons have no innocent blood!"

"You're lucky the girl will live, brat. I should take your head as a souvenir. A reminder of what happens to slayers who cross the line. But I'm not going to do that."

"Damn straight!" the boy growled back. Shippo hadn't been prepared for his next move. A hand burst out from beneath the boy's rags and hurled a powdery substance into his face. It was a strong move with precise aim, and the powder burst into a short-lived flame upon contact. Shippo stumbled back with a cry of surprise, barely realizing that the boy had slipped through his fingers in the same instant.

"Master Shippo!" Tsume called. His first words in some time.

Shippo clawed at his eyes. The stinging sensation was enough to knock him to a knee. He could not see, but he felt a hand at the back of his neck, and then his head cradled against a soft warmth. Maika's gentle breath filled his ears.

He heard one other thing as she held his head against his chest.

The sound of racing footsteps as the young demon slayer fled into the forest.

The battle, for the time being, was finished.

"Cunning little twerp," Shippo grumbled to himself. Then he sighed and allowed the tension inside to fade. He reached up and patted Maika hand. "You okay, kid?"

He could hear the soft smile in her tone as she murmured, "Yes. Thanks t-t-to you, Shippo. My hero."

"Your wound," Tsume started.

"Shallow," she replied. "Painful, b-b-but shallow. I'll live."

Shippo smiled. He put a hand to his eyes and rubbed them. His vision was blurry, but it was clearing up after the boy's surprise attack. No permanent damage, at least not for a demon. A mortal would not likely be so fortunate. "One of two things will happen now."

"Which is?" Tsume asked.

"Either he'll be back or he'll leave us be."

"Do you think he b-b-believed you when you said we d-d-didn't attack the village?" Maika asked.

"Doesn't matter," Tsume said. "Even if he did he might be back. We're demons and he's proven his hatred for us. But he may accept the fact we weren't responsible and go after the actual culprit."

Shippo at last pushed himself to his feet. His vision was nearly back to normal. He blinked and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "He was hired for that purpose, so really there're only two outcomes. He'll think we're responsible and come after us, or he'll believe what I said and move on. He's a demon slayer, so he should at least act like a professional."

"You're probably right, Master Shippo," the dagger at his hip said thoughtfully. "Assuming the kid can be reasonable, of course."

Maika considered it all with a frown. "Don't you think we'll f-f-find out one way or the other anyway? We're after the s-s-same target."

"Probably so," Shippo said with a smile. He reached down and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Looks like that wound is already closed. Let's go get you cleaned up."

The young dragoness gave a small nod. She smiled weakly. "Sure. Th-th-thank you, Shippo."

* * *

**FOUR**

Osuhi stood naked in a dense, dark patch of forest, hands on his hips as he gazed off into nothingness, listening to the gentle sobs of the half-demon nearby. How much time had passed since he'd lost himself to his animalistic desires? An hour or two? Perhaps more than that. He didn't know for sure. He did know, due to the fading light of day, that he had lost precious time. If he was still being tailed, he had risked a great deal for the sake of foolish pleasure.

Oh, it had certainly been worth it. And now that it was over he could concentrate on moving forward. His eyes drifted to the sword that had been his true purpose for pursuing the girl. He'd succeeded in capturing a worthless relic.

At least he still had her. She was worthy compensation.

He turned then and walked over to her. Like he, she was still naked, coated with sweat and other bodily fluids from their joining. He reached down and hauled her up by the wrist. She didn't struggle. Nor did she remain upright when he set her on her feet.

He growled in frustration, catching her as she started to fall. With one hand on her upper arm and the other clenched tightly about the back of her neck, Osuhi snarled in her ear. "You behave if you know what's good for you, half demon."

She stared off at nothing, as if to ignore him, but she found her footing nonetheless. Osuhi nodded at the results.

"That's right. This doesn't have to be entirely unpleasant for you." With gentle fingers he brushed her bangs clinging to her sweaty forehead from her eyes. She averted her gaze, but he placed two fingers on her chin and gently forced her to look at him. She didn't fight him.

"There, you see? This is not all that bad, is it?"

There was a tear in her eyes. She had spirit, he had to admit. That was good. That would be enough for now. Eventually he _would _break her. "Now then. We have a long road ahead of us." She didn't respond, but he didn't require a response. He smirked and gave her bare rump a slap. She yelped softly and her tears began to flow. "Get dressed, and we'll be on our way."

* * *

**FIVE**

After a long, exhausting sprint, Shou sank to the soft earth and leaned back against the thick trunk of a towering cherry tree. His breath caught in his throat. He coughed and wheezed, fighting to gain control.

The fight with the fox demon had been rough. Rougher than he'd anticipated. Somehow, miraculously, he was alive. He wanted to believe it was some kind of miracle, anyway. He knew the truth however. It had been no miracle. The fox demon hadn't intended to kill him. He'd simply been fighting to protect himself and his friends.

Not exactly how a murderous demon would behave, one that butchered a young woman and her father in the middle of the night. No, whoever they were, Shou knew they had not attacked Lord Hanabishi's people. The fox demon had spoken true. But why had they gone to the village to begin with? Did they know the demon responsible? That seemed a likely explanation.

That said, he didn't think it likely they were companions of the murderer. It seemed much more likely that they had their own score to settle.

They were dangerous, Shou knew. Too dangerous to remain unchecked.

Sooner or later, they would cross paths again. He was certain of that much.

After catching his breath Shou pushed himself to his feet. He raked both hands through his hair, combing it back off his forehead. It was heavy, damp with sweat. He grumbled to himself. His bandanna was gone, and his long hair kept falling in his face. Frustration, along with the beginnings of a splitting headache, made it hard to concentrate, and when a demon slayer couldn't concentrate, he ended up dead.

One of Yataro-sensei's most important lessons. Shou remembered it well, but he had been distracted by his recent battle. Now that it was over—at least for the time being—he was able to think straight. He drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. With both hands on the side of his forehead he rubbed his temples using slow, circular strokes.

Slowly the headache began to recede. "Mind over matter," the demon slayer mumbled.

Then he took a deep breath and rose to his feet. He gathered the chain of his kusarigama and put the weapon in its usual place, strapped to his back.

He heaved a heavy sigh, stretching tall and reassessing his physical condition. The fight had been rough, and he had received a few bumps and bruises, but he would live. Most importantly he could still fight if need be.

Still, he reasoned it would be wise to seek out his actual target. He didn't necessarily have to confront the demon yet, but it was important that he locate the enemy as soon as possible. He could figure out the next step afterwards.

His next step was important. He had a lot of ground to make up and he wasn't sure of the destination. No time to eat or to rest. It was time to act.

He checked the small leather pouch on his belt and then darted off into the forest.

* * *

**SIX**

Momo soared up and over a forest that Totosai had not seen for many years. The old man stared down, scarcely noticing the small, lithe frame of his young companion, clinging to him from behind. His mind had taken him back, back to a memory of his early years, when as a student to Master Gogenki he had come to this place.

This forest had been Goro's childhood home.

With a heavy sigh, Totosai gave the side of Momo's neck a gentle tap, signaling a change of direction. When the three-eyed demon cow suddenly shifted in midair, Nanako let out a surprised yelp. "Muh… Master Totosai! This is the wrong way!"

"Just a minor detour, Nanako. Everything is fine." Totosai fell silent, though he could feel the girl's questioning gaze from behind.

Momo needed no more direction than what he had given. He flew over a large hill—or perhaps a small mountain—and began to descend into a valley so thick with vegetation it was impossible to see anything but treetops from overhead.

"The Valley of Vixen Queen," Totosai murmured.

Nanako squeezed his arm. "I… Master Totosai, we can't go here! It's forbidden!"

"So I hear."

"Then… what _are_ we doing here?"

The ghost of a smile graced the swordsmith's lips, though he knew Nanako couldn't see it. Momo slid down and below the treeline, and they were cast in the shadow of the forest.

The world below was quite familiar. In fact, from this perspective, nothing at all had changed. Everything appeared precisely as it had been all those hundreds of years ago. This was a timeless world, virtually untouched by the outside. Totosai breathed in the sweet air of the forest, relished in it. The moment Momo touched the ground and the cloud at his hooves faded into nothingness, he began to graze happily. The old man hoped down onto the ground and scurried on into the darkness, his long-handled hammer propped against his shoulder.

"Master Totosai!"

He ignored Nanako's call, which had become a plea of frustration. After a moment he heard her light feet scurrying through the forest after him.

Up ahead came a gentle breath of wind. He felt he warmth of the invisible power but thought nothing of it as he trudged on through the darkness. It was no concern of his. He had felt this same breath of power once before, on this precise path. It had been "forbidden" in those days too. Of course, in those days, it had been a livelier place.

He had been a strapping young demon of no more than three hundred years, two centuries into his rigorous training. He had even earned the friendship of the fox demon Goro, his partner in crime and his peer swordsmith-in-training.

In his memories he saw movement in the forest. A rippling wave of red. Fascination seized him. Against the wishes of his friend, he had followed the children along this same path…

* * *

**SEVEN**

_ Before him there was a path of light. Two children with red hair rippling in magnificent waves behind them, pranced on ahead, lilting laughter cutting effortlessly through the shadows. A third child with short arms and legs pumping furiously to keep up with her sisters, was clearly the youngest. Her hair was considerably shorter, falling just above her shoulders, and her head was nearly dwarfed by adorable fox ears poking through the silver locks._

_ Each of the girls had creamy-white skin. Their vulpine legs and bright bushy tails were clear telltales of their origins. While the older girls had reddish-blond, almost golden tails, their sister's thick tail was a marvelous shade somewhere between white and silver._

_ They ran in the buff, perfectly at home in the forest of their heritage. Totosai watched the fox demons not with perverse lust in his eyes but rather admiration for something few would ever see. According to legend, female fox demons were a rare sight because so few were born into the world. To have more than one born to the same generation was said to be a rare event, and the vixen queen had birthed three in two litters. Totosai marveled at the rare gems of nature._

_ Occasionally the trio peered back and giggled at him. Sometimes they would double back only to dash out of sight into the forest. It was a mischievous game of hide-and-seek. Totosai remained on the path, waiting and watching as they played their game._

_ They did not speak to him, but their laughter was enough. He was soon on the verge of laughter himself, and when at last they urged a chuckle from the swordsmith-in-training they doubled over with a fresh, almost paralyzing burst of laughter. A golden sound, so utterly brilliant. Perfection, if the truth be told._

_ And just like that, they somehow gathered themselves and darted out of sight, seemingly to begin the process all over again. Totosai smiled._

_ "You have returned to me."_

_ The silky-smooth voice reached Totosai's ears, and he turned his gaze to the light ahead of him in the path. He stood silent, closing his eyes and breathing in the forest. The cool air was crisp and sweet, so different from his volcanic home._

_ "I have, Lady Pimiko." Goro's heartfelt reply was deep and smooth, bestowing deep reverence in its gentleness. "The years have been kind."_

_ "Only two hundred years as I recall," the lady responded. Totosai had yet to see her, but he could imagine the wondrous smile that graced her flawless features. "You, however… you _have _changed. For the better, I might add."_

_ Totosai waited out of sight and in perfect silence as his friend spoke to the one known as the Vixen Queen. The children had vanished into the forest, though he could still hear them nearby, even feel their eyes as they watched him from the shadows._

_ An exchange of pleasantries. An update regarding Goro's training. All short but sweet. And then silence, followed by a breath of power._

* * *

**EIGHT**

Totosai shook away the moment and drew a slow breath before stepping into the one place in the forest where the magic of light once touched. That power no longer dwelled in the valley. It had survived for a few decades following Pimiko's death, but something had changed.

Rather, everything had.

Here, in the exact center of the valley, stood a throne of stone, covered over by decades of foliage. Nobody had kept house here in a long time. Here was the first visual evidence of change since their arrival, Totosai mused thoughtfully as he paused to stare into the past. He imagined the great and powerful Pimiko in all her glory, the gentle queen of the fox demon tribe, reverently draped over her throne.

Nanako trudged up behind him. "Master Totosai?"

"In her time, you never would have seen the outside of this place."

The girl turned her gaze from him and swallowed hard. "Yes. I know."

"The world has changed, I suppose," the swordsmith murmured. "The wheel of life is constantly turning. Time marches on."

"Lady Saya thought so."

"As did Goro." With a gentle snort Totosai trudged on into the forest just behind the stone throne. Nanako gasped and followed after him. "Queen Pimiko was another matter."

It was a short walk until he came to what he sought.

"Master Totosai?"

He glanced down at her and smiled thoughtfully. Then he turned his gaze to the row of stones stretching off into the distance before him. He twirled his hammer against his shoulder as if it were a parasol, gazing at the first stone in the row, right at his feet. Or rather, the last stone.

"Nanako, do you trust me?"

She looked up at him. "I have no choice in the matter, do I?"

He smiled thoughtfully. "Well, no. I suppose not. But I need your trust, fully and implicitly, without fail. If we are to find Yosue, that is."

She gazed up to him. "So there is a way?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. He gazed down at small stone once again and considered the question. Then he drew a deep breath. "Perhaps."

"What exactly are we doing here?"

"Defiling Pimiko's grave," Totosai replied calmly, and then, before she had a chance to protest, he lifted his hammer up and over his head, bringing it down over the stone with all his might.

On contact there was a brilliant flash of white-hot light and a crack of jaw-rattling thunder. Nanako screamed in panic, but he could not hear her. She could not even hear herself.

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE: Osuhi's Startling Discovery**


	4. Osuhi's Startling Discovery

Episode 4: Osuhi's Startling Discovery

* * *

** ONE**

Night fell slowly over a quiet and lonesome land, blanketing the world in darkness and sending all but a few of the creatures of daylight scurrying for shelter. To most, such a time would be well suited for seeking shelter in the rocky foothills surrounding Mount Fuji and plotting their course for the next day's journey.

Two such travelers continued without pause: a tall, slender beast with smooth, muscle-toned flesh and his petite, willowy, pale-skinned prisoner.

As he walked behind her, Osuhi gazed at the rump of his latest prize, gently swaying with each step. She was different from other fox demons he had seen in the past. In fact, she was the first female fox demon he had ever laid eyes on.

Other than the fact that she was a half demon, of course.

He was relatively certain that like all other fox demons, vixens were born with big bushy tails, but this particular specimen had no such thing. Her legs and ass, shapely as they were, concealed the truth of her demon heritage. In fact, the only proof that he could see that she _was_ a half demon were the pointy ears poking through her straight, ebony hair.

She was in fact more like him: almost human. He too had ebony hair, though cropped into short spikes. His ears were similarly pointed, though longer than hers. There was no further proof that he was a demon. At least, none that was visual.

She had been quite the morsel. Though she had fought mentally, she had been unable to fend him. And so, he had taken her as his prize… and what a prize she proved to be. More so than being merely a half demon, he had come to realize within her inner struggle as he lay claim to her what use she truly was.

It was for this reason that she possessed the demon sword known as Yosue. The sheath of the weapon was strapped across her back so that the hilt itself rested just over her right shoulder.

He still bore the scar from the time he had first tried to unsheathe Yosue, to claim it as his own. The half demon wench, however, had been able to wield the weapon on her first attempt. It was with this realization that he came to understand the true importance of adding the young fox demon to his collection. She could quench his thirst for power in more ways than one.

When he had tired of merely watching the girl walk in front of him, Osuhi moved over to her side. He took a handful of her long, silky hair and let it slide effortlessly from his fingers.

"Hmm. Very nice."

She cringed at his touch but continued forward. The Collector smiled slyly to himself. He held her in the bare minimum of control at present, merely guiding her direction. She went without protest … though she refused to meet his gaze when he spoke to her.

Which was disappointing. He liked the pathetic, frightened look in her eyes when she met his gaze. He liked seeing the moisture well up in her eyes when she looked at him.

The occasional tear that left a trail of despair on her cheek.

A small smirk formed on his lips as he walked beside her. He nibbled at the tip of his tongue with in incisor and let his hand wander. At first he was very careful not to touch her as his fingers followed the shape of her back from her neck to her rump. Then he slipped his fingers between her legs from behind and let them glide up her inner thigh in a deliciously inappropriate manner. She trembled at his touch and jumped away from him, putting one hand to her rump and the other against her crotch in defense. He watched the entire display with a devilish grin.

"Now that was a nice reaction," he mocked. "But I wasn't finished."

"You are now…" she whispered.

He curled his finger up in a gesture that she would understand as a demand. He didn't bother to raise his voice. "Come back here, or you will finish the day's march without the privilege of your kimono."

She gasped slightly, and for a moment her trembling legs refused to work.

"Don't make me ask twice."

With a nod, she slowly returned to his side. He then gestured on back down the path. She nodded pathetically and began to walk again. He followed along at her side.

"If I want to touch you," he murmured in his ear as she walked, "I touch you."

He slipped a hand into the front of her kimono.

"If I want you to touch me, you will not hesitate to please me in any manner of my choosing." His face was very near hers. She didn't dare close her eyes as he stared into them. "You belong to me now. Your body is mine. You fight, you suffer. But, as I said before… it does not have to be entirely unpleasant." Her face was red with shame as his hand worked inside her kimono, roughly kneading one of her soft breasts.

Without warning Osuhi slapped her ass with his other hand. Hard. She yelped loudly, nearly leaping out of her skin. He grinned.

"Unfortunately we have more important things to deal with for the time being. No time for pleasantries. We will have to explore our feelings later."

He squeezed her breast until he saw tears trickling down her cheeks. His other hand still cupped to her rump, he pulled her so close there was no space between them.

"That could change any time. So could your importance to me. Just you remember that, you little bitch." He snarled, spittle flying in her face. She trembled in fear. It was the perfect reaction, one he seriously enjoyed. He didn't show her any appreciation. "You live for one purpose now. To make me happy. If I'm not happy, you lose your purpose. And then what good are you to me?"

Despite her trembling stupor, but she managed a nod. "Yes… yes Master."

He blinked, caught off guard by the title. He had to admit, he liked it. A smirk slowly adorned his features. Then he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and forced her to her knees.

They didn't have a lot of time, but there was time enough for this.

* * *

**TWO**

Shippo sank deep into the steaming water and stayed beneath the surface for what seemed an eternity as Maika watched on, sitting on her heels on the shore with her slender arms wrapped around her knees. When he broke the surface he threw his lean but muscular arms over the side of the rocky shore and settled back to peer up into the starry night sky. He heaved a sigh of ecstasy. "Oh yeah… Now this is what I'm talking about."

"We made good time today," a familiar disembodied voice announced. Tsume, sheathed in his leather scabbard on the shore, sat atop Shippo's neatly folded clothing, apparently content only when he could hear the sound of his own voice. "But we're going to have to make even better time if we are ever going to catch the Collector."

"Tsume?"

"Yes, Master Shippo?"

"Shut up."

"Um… certainly. Of course, Master Shippo."

Maika actually giggled softly at the exchange. She was beginning to loosen up around Shippo. Part of it was because of her discussion with Tsume on the morning after she'd met the unusual pair, but she had also begun to recognize his gentle soul. He was carefree and playful and lighthearted. She genuinely liked him.

With that decided she stood tall and began to disrobe.

Shippo blinked as he realized she was there. "Um, Maika…" he started. His cheeks flushed crimson and he sank just a bit deeper into the water. "What exactly are you doing?"

"The water l-l-looks nice. I'm g-g-going to take a b-b-bath, too."

"Oh. Okay…" Shippo swallowed hard and stared off at nothingness. "That's… kinda what I thought you were doing."

The dragoness grinned as she gazed at the fox demon. "You know, sh-sh-Shippo… you d-d-don't have to be emb-b-barrassed. We're not exactly c-c-compatible." As she spoke she let the leather armor she wore beneath her cloak fall to the ground. "There's nothing I can d-d-do to you, and there's n-n-nothing you can do to me. See?"

She placed her hands against her flat chest and lightly rolled her fingers along her flesh. "Nothing to g-g-grab onto. Our b-b-biological make-ups are so d-d-different, I doubt we c‑c‑could even make love, let alone b-b-bear offspring."

"I think you completely missed the point," Shippo muttered, almost to himself.

"You're c-c-cute," she cooed softly as she sank into the steaming hot spring. "T-t-take notes, Tsume. That's how you fluster a fox d-d-demon."

"Nicely played, Maika."

Shippo heaved a sigh but he had nothing more to say.

"Why, thank you, Tsume."

Shifting her legs so that they were comfortably beneath her and one cheek pressed firmly to the smooth rock bottom of the hot spring, Maika folded her arms over a standing stone that rose just above the water's surface. She laid her head in the nook of her arms and gazed almost admiringly at her newfound friend. Though they were sitting steaming water, Maika knew that his flushed face was not entirely due to the heat.

Starlight danced in her golden eyes as she gazed into the midnight sky.

"Shippo?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For everything."

She thought he would say there was no need to thank him, that he was only doing what he felt was the right thing to do. That was probably even true.

Instead, he smiled thoughtfully and finally relaxed. "You're welcome."

Her surprise was evident when she gazed at him, not at all certain how to respond. Shippo simply chuckled softly and stared up into the darkening sky.

For a moment tears welled up in Maika's eyes, but unwilling to share those tears she instead let her body dip fully beneath the water's steaming surface. When she finally reemerged, satisfaction shown brilliantly in her eyes and in the small, content smile on her face. She let her slender, willowy figure melt lazily against the standing stone and closed her golden eyes.

She sighed happily as she soaked. The water was perfect.

* * *

**THREE**

He had planned to continue the journey through the night and on into the next day, but hours after sunset the half demon collapsed. Exhaustion had won out. His prize simply couldn't continue, so Osuhi finally relinquished his desire to continue and decided to set up camp for her. He found a cave in the side of a steep cliff overlooking a dense patch of forest where he allowed her to settle in for a few hours rest.

Osuhi had no need for rest. He could go without sleep for days, weeks if need be. So while the half demon slept he sat just inside the entrance of the cave and gazed calmly out over the forest. He searched for any sign that someone might be out there, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. If he was still being pursued, the forest gave no indication.

He narrowed his eyes and then pursed his lips and blew a stream of air into the night. A long, low whistle slid easily from his lips, soft at first and intensifying as it slipped off into the trees. Even as he closed his lips several moments later he could still hear the sound as it carried on for miles in all directions.

He closed his eyes then and leaned back against the side of the rock face at the entrance of the cave. Soon, if all went well, the answer to his most pressing question would come to him. Then he would know exactly what he had to do.

In the meantime, he resigned himself to wait.

* * *

**FOUR**

Somewhere in the depths of her dreams, there was darkness, as if the solid ground beneath her had opened up in order to swallow her whole. The darkness rushed madly toward her, almost as if she were falling into nothingness. Intense emotion consumed her. Distant memories pleaded desperately in her ear. All the while, a familiar pain coursed like electricity through her entire being. Try as she might to scream, silence consumed her. So dense was the air around her she could hardly, let alone move a single muscle.

_Remember… Remember!_

But, remember what? She barely remembered her own name, and she felt fortunate to remember that much. Beyond the shadowy crevasse of the mind was only darkness, a uncompromising, all-compassing cold that pulled her further into the depths of despair.

Remember. Remember who you are. You are Kuu…

Slowly, her eyes slid open to stare into the darkness.

It was as if she rose to the surface of a deep, dark pool, and now floated on the back and stared off into space.

Somewhere in her chest she could feel her heart pounding.

Somewhere in the depths of her soul, a fire burned.

The fire of anger.

Her arm outstretched, she called for her salvation. The liquid blue flames of her foxfire licked at the hilt of the sword sheathed on the far side of the cavern.

You belong to no man.

Fight!

* * *

**FIVE**

Shou moved quickly and quietly through the forest. Though it was very late, he was concerned only with the path ahead of him. The taunting demonic tone reached his ears from somewhere beyond. He knew that if he could somehow find the origin of that sound, he would likely find his target. And when he found the target, he would slay the demon and take his rightful place among his ancestors as a proper demon slayer.

At least, that was his hope, but after what had happened during his first true battle, Shou was beginning to have doubts. The big demon with the flaming red hair was a formidable foe to say the least. Shou realized all too easily he was no match. If one that appeared to possess some semblance of honor and nobility could take him down with such ease, what of a demon that chose to hide in the shadows and annihilate the innocent as they slept? The very thought made Shou's blood boil and, at the same time, cause goosebumps to prickle his flesh.

He drew a mental breath as he moved, pushing aside his doubts for the sake of the task at hand. In one hand he held the handle of the sickle of his kusarigama. In the other, the chain just above the iron weight attached at the end. He had no choice. He refused to be caught off his guard. No time to rest. There was only the mission.

Those who had been left behind depended on him and Yataro-sensei's teachings.

Shou drew a breath in order to steel himself to the inevitable fight to come.

And the possibility of death just around the corner.

* * *

**SIX**

Unexpectedly, the figure in the darkness rose, her brilliant black mane flowing over her shoulders as blue flame flickered in her eyes. She balled her small hands to tight fists and stared off at nothingness. The voice in her head screamed the word once again.

Fight!

It was not the voice of an outside force stirring her to action, as Osuhi had done when he had taken her. No, the origins of this voice was all too familiar, wrapping her it a warm embrace and stirring within her confidence she had never known she had. There was no gender to the voice, no true depth or volume. It was as if a thought suddenly shifted unexpectedly through her mind. Clear as a bell, it shook her to the very core. So liberating! So profound yet so simple at the same time.

Her conqueror deserved no worse a fate than death.

Her breathing grew deeper. Her lip curled into a snarl. Something within her began to change. Something that cut deep to the center of her being. Her finger curled dangerously as her nails morphed into deadly, razor-sharp claws. Her flesh began to darken and her entire body grew taut with inner power. Her jaw swelled as fangs protruded. Spittle dribbled down her chin as a raspy growl rumbled from deep in her chest.

The figure at the mouth of the cave did not seem to be paying attention. He lounged calmly in place as he stared out over the forest. Fury danced in her eyes as she took a step toward him.

FIGHT! FIGHT!

Anger pushed her forward as she snapped her jaws and raked her claws against the stone wall of the cave. Tiny shards of rock littered the ground at her feet.

FIGHT FIGHT _FIGHT!_

_KILL!_

The voice screamed dangerously in her head as she rushed forward with a death cry that echoed through the night. In that moment, a very stunned and helpless conjurer spun to see the deadly beast looming over him.

And then, for the first time in days, perhaps even weeks, Osuhi snapped out of deep stupor that held him, as if waking from a dream. He didn't have time to fight back. He barely even had time to scream. Claws raked his cheek even as he fell back, splaying open the soft flesh. He dropped out of the mouth of the cave, over the side of the cliff, and into empty space.

She glared with blue fire in her eyes as he fell.

But she didn't give chase. There was no need. She possessed the power now. He was meaningless, and without the Collector that enhanced his abilities, he was powerless as well. She turned back in toward the cave, and as she did she felt her body receding. The swell of her jaws, her tense muscles, her razor-sharp claws, even the fire burning in her eyes… Everything that had been a mere moment ago returned to normal.

Except she was no longer normal by any stretch of the imagination. She knew that, had always known that. Her father had forbidden her from revealing the truth of her heritage. She still didn't know why, but now she knew that her heritage gave her more than she had ever imagined.

That power still lingered, bubbling violently, just below the surface. Eager to be called upon at a moment's notice

She slipped deeper in the darkness of the cave, and knelt in that place where she had left Yosue. She lifted the sword by the scabbard and gazed upon it. Then she took the hilt and drew it out several inches.

Her eyes sparked blue flame. The first time she had drawn the blade it had once only glowed so brilliant that she could not see the surface, if there was a surface to be seen. Now the blade was clearly visible, holding in the blue light as if it glowed from within.

She knew it was her fox magic, fully awakened.

She had been told her magic would never fully awaken, yet somehow…

A small smile spread across her lips.

She fully sheathed the sword, slipped it into her obi. Then, as she was about to leave, she turned to stare at the bundle of items Osuhi had dropped into the far corner of the cavern when they arrived. Something within the bundle beckoned her.

She moved toward it to collect her prize.

* * *

**SEVEN**

He cowered, broken and alone, curled into a fetal position. He was a bloody mess, lying in the ruined foliage that had broken his fall. His breathing was ragged, and mournful whimpers spilled pitifully from his lips. His eyes were full of tears.

Just what had happened? The past weeks were nothing but a series of terrible, jumbled images in the back of his mind. He had lost control, and that was all that he knew. He knew now that something terrible had happened. Something inside him had somehow stirred to life, pushing his abilities to their heightened limits, and it had been wondrous and grand and intoxicating.

Now, he recalled only what a woefully tragic road it had been, even if the memories were but a blur.

"You there! In the bushes! Reveal yourself!"

Osuhi stiffened. The unexpected voice cut into him as easily as a samurai's most cherished blade. But how? How was it possible that he'd been snuck up upon? It didn't make any sense!

Osuhi put his hands on the ground, groaning softly as he at last pushed himself to his feet. He was shaky at best, but he managed to gain his footing and stare at the human who'd approached.

Human? How was it possible that a mere human had snuck up on him?

Perhaps…

And then he realized that the voice in his head had, at last, fled. The voice that seemed so much like his own had at last departed, and it was then that he realized, with sudden clarity, that he was in terrible danger. The boy before him carried a weapon. A long chain, with a sickle on one end and an iron weight on the other.

"Are you a demon?" the boy demanded.

"Here to kill me, are you, slayer?" The words came slowly. He struggled to take a step forward, out of the crushed bushes.

The demon slayer struck a dangerous pose, bending his knees ever so slightly and holding his kusarigama out before him, preparing to strike.

"We might as well get this over with, then," Osuhi muttered.

"You will pay for your transgressions…"

Osuhi tilted his head slightly. "And what transgressions are you referring to?"

"You know full well! The murder of an innocent swordsmith and his daughter!"

"Innocent swordsmith? A swordsmith is little more than a warmonger. They are guilty by definition." Osuhi snort and took another step forward, only to stumble. He put his hand out and caught himself on the narrow truck of a nearby sapling. "Damn…"

The boy seemed to reconsider his position when Osuhi took his hand from the trunk, leaving a slick, glossy print. Bright red. Blood.

More of the crimson life dripped onto the ground at the demon's feet.

"What's happened to you? Who did this?"

"Not sure. Played for a fool, I suspect. I scarcely remember, actually."

That seemed to catch the boy off guard. Osuhi gave a shrug of his shoulder and stumbled slowly forward. The demon slayer stiffened, but he didn't give a damn. Right now there was only one thing he cared to do. And that was move on.

"Whatever it is," he mumbled as he shuffled past the boy, "it has her. Just as it had me. It used me the same way. Made me stronger than I ever imagined. But drained me as well." He paused before moving on. "If you continue on this path, I suspect you will find what you are looking for." He didn't glance the boy's way. He cradled his ribs and instead stared up into the sky. It was impossible to see the moon or stars through the thick canopy of foliage. "You will also find what you are not. It will kill you, boy."

The demon slayer gripped his weapon. "I'm not afraid."

"Courage. It will be the death of you, human."

Osuhi stumbled forward, moving. As the boy watched, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, writhing there in the path, barely in control of his own motor skills.

"This is what must be," the boy muttered. "It is my path."

When he turned and ran into the shadows, Osuhi grumbled to himself, but no words came out. He found himself respecting the bravery of the young demon slayer. It didn't change anything. Soon the boy would be dead. Osuhi might even join him on that trail into the underworld. Didn't really matter anymore. He knew that the fall wouldn't normally had caused him much damage, but the leech that had held him in his stupor for the past few weeks had sucked away much of his strength. He wasn't healing at his normal pace.

He wasn't a great demon, by any stretch. It was somewhat miraculous that he had survived the fall, considering his recent ordeal. Without the bush to somewhat cushion his fall, Osuhi had little doubt that he would have succumbed to his wounds before the demon slayers arrival.

A rest, he decided. Maybe after he closed his eyes for a bit he could regroup and determine the next course of action. The decision made, Osuhi breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Then he closed his eyes and was still.

* * *

**EIGHT**

"Here you g-g-go," Maika said happily as she handed over a roasted lizard on a stick. Shippo observed it for a moment before smiling his thanks and taking his meal.

"Are you sure that's not a distant relative?" Tsume asked as Shippo sniffed the meat.

The young dragoness giggled softly. "So what if it were? Not r-r-really the p-p-point, I think. It's just food."

Shippo glanced up, and smirked. "That's harsh."

Maika shrugged. "Yep. But then, the w-w-world's harsh."

"Well, I suppose there's no arguing that," Tsume said.

As Shippo ate, Maika took her own lizard and sat across from him, watching him over the small fire. He didn't watch back. With a sigh she dug in. For a time, no one spoke, but then Maika couldn't contain herself. She giggled softly.

Shippo looked over. "What?"

"Uncle," she said through a fit of giggles.

Shippo lowered his stick, the half-eaten lizard hanging dangerously close to the earth. "Uncle?"

Maiki giggled again, shook her head, and took another bite.

"Dragons," Tsume muttered.

Shippo grinned and returned to his meal. When he was finished he tossed the bones into a fire and took a second lizard from above the fire.

Once upon a time, he used to eat meals like this, around a campfire with his friends. Of course he had Tsume's company now, but that was different. Tsume wasn't much to look at, strapped in a sheath at his hip. He rather enjoyed a friendly face to look upon, and Maika fit the bill marvelously.

He chuckled softly and sank his teeth into the roasted lizard.

Maika glanced up. "And what are you l-l-laughing at?"

"Just thinking. It's been a long time since… It's nothing."

"Ah… I do enjoy st-st-stories, you know. Haven't heard a st-st-story since my family fled the f-f-forest."

Shippo lowered his meal slowly. It suddenly didn't seem as important.

Everyone she had known, her only friends, had abandoned their homeland. Something about her story wasn't adding up. Why was it that Maika stayed behind? How long had she been alone? He had a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach: she must have faced the so-called Collector on her own.

He sighed and started to return to his meal.

It was at that moment that he froze.

The sickening, metallic stench reached him abruptly.

Blood.

He whipped his head around and stared off at the mountain behind him. Fuji. The unmistakable stench came from that direction.

He was on his feet in a rush.

"Put out the fire," he said.

"Master Shippo?" He ripped Tsume, still in his sheath, from his side and tossed the weapon into Maika's lap.

She stared up at him. "Wh… what is it?"

"I'll be back," he promised, and then he vanished into the night.

* * *

**Next Episode: Upon A Broken Path**


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